>>> overseas, ukraine's prime minister says that vladimir putin is ready to start world war iii and russia refuses to back up from the border. here's jonathan karl. he asked president obama if america's economic pressure is working. john? >> reporter: good evening, diane. president obama told me bluntly today that "president putin is not a stupid man" and that sanctions are hurting russia and putin knows it. this is getting personal. i asked the president about putin's recent response to a question about whether he thought obama would save him if he were drowning. president putin was asked that if he were drowning, would you save him? and said he thought you would save him. so i'm just wondering, was he correct on that? >> i absolutely would save mr. putin if he were drowning. i'd like to think that if anybody is out there drowning, i'm going to save him. >> reporter: president obama hasn't spoken to putin in over a week, but he did speak to european leaders last night about another round of sanctions, and we're told they are coming in soon, probably before the president returns to washing